The operational experience of private owners of small-sized care homes in China: a qualitative study

BMC Health Services Research

Research

Xia Qinghua¹  Zhang Xiuxiang²  Branden McCormack³  Ann D. Morgan⁴  Xiubin Zhang⁵  Jennifer K. Quint⁶ 

[1] Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, 299 Bayi Rd, Wuhan, China;Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, Huanghuai University, 299 Bayi Rd, Wuhan, China;Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia;Imperial College London, School of Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, UK;School of Public Health and National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, White City, W12 7RQ, London, UK;School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK;

关键词: Private owner;    Care home;    Interpretative phenomenological analysis;    Qualitative research;    China;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12913-023-10066-w

 received in 2022-09-13, accepted in 2023-09-25,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPrivate small-sized care homes (<50 beds)  have proliferated across China, however, until recently little was known about the characteristics of such institutions, and the challenges and the problems faced by their owners. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of small-sized, privately-owned care homes in the People’s Republic of China; and to understand the motivation and challenges faced by their owners.MethodsThis study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach of qualitative research. Owners of eight small-sized private care homes located in two cities of Henan Province, China, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews.ResultsFour themes and eight subthemes were identified: 1. Motivation for establishing a care home business; 2. Certification and establishing a legal footing for the business; 3. Operational challenges; 4. Future business development. The study found that the development of privately owned small-sized care homes faced great challenges and critical survival problems due to policies, staffing, and management issues. There is a lack of regulations about the safety and quality of care provided for older people and a lack of legal protections for the owners of small-sized private care homes.ConclusionThe study suggests that formal regulations and provisions are needed to support these smaller-sized private care homes. Monitoring is also needed to ensure the quality of care. It also suggests that there needs more support by policymakers as well as provision monitoring services to improve quality of care in these care homes. Care regulations and standards are not unique to China so findings from this study can be applied to places where there are similar situations or if there are aged care services still developing.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023

【 图 表 】

Fig. 2